My dealer in South Louisiana pointed out a new problem, for me at least, during inspection of some minor problems, airbag light & leaky coolant tank.

It seems that the plug wires and rubber around them are quite tasty to small rodents/rats/squirrels. My MINI is parked under a carport at night, with its own nightlight (100 watt lightbulb) and a 70 Opel GT. No damage to the Opel or any other vehicle in the past. The dealer said the engine heat attracts the critters on a cool night then when they get comfy, the knaw at the wires.

The problem also exists on BMW's parked in unheated garages. BMW in an unheated garage? Is that possible? !!!!!!!!!

I'll have to replace the wires soon, but in the meantime I'm going to cover the wire area with some wire screen at night. I've also smeared silicone boot lubricant on the rubber areas. I that doesn't work, maybe I'll try antifreeze or cola or traps.
My only other fear, is what else will these critters find tasty in my MINI. The rubber they use must be harvested near sugarcane fields. Sweet rubber?????

Any comments or suggestions????????????
02 mcs ps/ps space cloth no opts....................................

 

Try Grannick's Bitter Apple Spray. It can be bought at pet stores and is used to strongly discourage animals from licking or gnawing on things. I used it for a dog that was obsessively/compulsively licking her ankle raw, and it worked great.

I even tasted it once, and can assure all of my fans here that it really is more bitter than anything any normal person would ever want to taste. Bitterness factor on par with hotness factor of a Habanero pepper. (This is an excellent time to remind everyone to read and consider my signature quotation!)

Never in my wildest dreams would I ever have thought that this stuff would be an automobile accessory, but doing something to prevent rodents from chewing on expensive wiring would be a top priority for me, especially as I have had a family of mice live in the fuzzy bonnet liner of my VW GTI, and if I had thought of it then instead of now when it was too late, I might not have such a shredded bonnet liner.



_________________
~Yucca Patrol~

2003 MCS, BRG/W on the truck to my dealer!

"Good judgement comes from experience, and experience comes from bad judgement."

 

Thanks, I'll look for it & give it a try. I'll keep ya'll posted...................

 

and hopefully it is not a rodent attractor, tee hee! I'm pretty sure it is NOT!

 

That stuff works great!! I have used it for my dogs too. It's great!! It should work perfectly.

 

Do you have to spray each rodent??

 

Silly 2MINIS! Just spray the objects you would not like to have chewed on. Rodents need not be sprayed, unless you have a problem with animals chewing on your rodents, in which case, you should spray the rodents by all means!

Also, for some fun, spray it on things like your significant other's toothbrushe, or the inside of a coffee mug in your office break room. Then Lauren would really have a yucky cup of coffee!

 

I had small critters chew on my propane BBQ lines and on my Camper this summer. It was a real pain in the ****. The hardware store sold me wire hose covers that so far have cured the problem. I wouldn't reccomend this solution for plug-wires however.

I was wondering if the bitter Apple spray is safe for kids? I have a two year old who is still sucking his fingers.

Denny

 

Denny,

The spray is an all natural bitter extract made from apples. I don't have a bottle on hand to tell you the ingredients, but it is specifically made to be safe for pets to lick. I might consult with my pediatric behaviorist first, but I can imagine it being very useful.

They also sell that stuff to discourage fingernail biting that is specifically made for humans and I might try painting your kids fingernails with it instead.

 

I have been fighting pack rats here in AZ for years. They liked the wiring in my 1964 Morris Cooper S to the point I sold it when I got my new MCS. The trick with under the bonnet strategies is to open it or put a shop light under it! They do not like bright light!

 

Look what I found in my boot!